Poetry Park is a
resource dedicated to contemporary poetry. Like the best of parks, it is full
of variety and constantly growing. Our seasons are the events around us. The
small and the vast, the sweet and the ugly of everyday happenings; the
personal and the public . We are a garden of reflection and a humble
chronicle.

Ours is a park with
open gates. Gardens to be shared for a moment's respite in a stroll, or a
longer sojourn on a bench amid the verses. We, the poets and the keepers,
want you to enjoy the beds and lawns, the woods and water features, of our
world.

Uses and Users

Poetry Park has several
purposes:

1. An Educational Resource for Schools and Colleges

Poetry Park , as it
grows, will provide a wide range of contemporary poetry in an attractive
setting. Students and teachers can use it as a ‘browsing' resource, or focus
on specific themes or genres. The format is to be user friendly and there is
content that will appeal to poetry enthusiasts and those still waiting to be
enthused.

2. A Display Area for Today's Poets

The park will play
host to poetry from a wide range of writers. Professionals, amateurs,
youngsters, middle aged, and older, any gender, race, creed. The rule for is
simple: poems are judged purely on their merit. We do not say “That goes in
because it was good for a girl of seven!” Whoever the writer, the poem must
stand on its own merit for admission to the Poetry Park .

3. For People Who Enjoy Poems

The Poetry Park, like
many parks, is there because you never know…The sun is out, let us walk with
the family to the park. You've been working at your screen, on your spreadsheet
or your protocol, and you need a break…a cyber-lunch amid the trees of verses
and the stanzas of the boating lake!

4. For Poets to Keep an Eye on Poets

To read and enjoy,
and maybe envy, the work of fellow writers. To listen and learn from other
voices. To share. It is, after all, sharing that makes us a community.

Contributions

Contributions come
from a variety of sources. The Park Keepers work with several schools in the
UK , and they would like to expand internationally. We contact publishers and
professional poets who are encouraged to ‘donate' work to our site –
sometimes as a taster that may lead people to buy their work. But most of our
contributions are from students and amateur poets.

We do not pay fees as
Poetry Park is a free resource, but copyright of all poems published remains
with the writer. The only proviso is that if a poem is published in the Park,
it may be used for educational or charitable purposes. However if poems are
to be included in any publications that are to be sold, permission should be
sought from the writer. For information e-mail:

austin@austing.co.uk

Unfortunately someone
has to judge what makes a good poem, and that is down to the Park Keepers.
The fact that a poem is not accepted does not necessarily mean it is not a
good poem.

Anyone wishing to
contribute should send a selection of up to 5 poems to:

austin@austing.co.uk

Please include a
short “biopic” of the poet.

Funding

Currently, Poetry
Park does not receive any public funding. It has been built Austin Griffiths
. At the moment the web hosting is paid for by Poetry Park . Anyone
interested in sponsoring Poetry Park should e-mail: